Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac Red, 750ml, Bordeaux,France

Among Pauillac's wines, Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste is considered "a great classic", capable of aligning its consistent character with the spirit of each vintage. Wines are the expression of their terroir, their climate and their grapes, but they also carry the mark of those who made it. So while showing the utmost respect for the gifts of nature, Francois-Xavier Borie will proudly refer to Grand-Puy-Lacoste's "signature" which is clearly evident in vertical tastings. The wines have a beautiful deep color, the aromas are very pure and complex, subtle and refined.  Depending on the vintage, one's first impression maybe of ripe fruits or flowers, often toasted notes, spice and vanilla. With time it develops a remarkable full, rich character. 
In the mouth one is struck with its elegant individuality from the very first impression through the last moments of a  finish, which afford continual and subtly changing pleasure. The flavors support and amplify its aromatic sensations with a notable large range of fruits, particularly cassis, which develops with age. The wines are welt built, with a powerful tannic structure which never loses its silky smoothness.
The fourth dimension of Grand-Puy-Lacoste is time. By nature a wine for long ageing, it needs between eight and ten years to reveal its full potential, bringing harmony and power together. Each vintage fully develops after a period corresponding to its profile."Patience is rewarded with complex aromas of dried fruits, Havana tobacco and cedar wood, smooth tannins and an "exceptional long aromatic finish" Markus del Monego, world's best sommelier of 1998.
 
Total surface area of the estate: 90 hectares around the Château
Vineyard in production: 60 hectares in one block around the Château
Average age of the vineyard: 38 years old
Terroir: Very deep coarse gravel
Vineyard grape varieties: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon - 20% Merlot - 5% Cabernet Franc
Planting density: 10 000 vines/hectares
Grafting: Riparia gloire & 101.14
Vineyard management: Mechanical ploughing of the soil Viticulture practices: Spraying kept to the absolute effective minimum
Harvest: Exclusively hand picked
Grape sorting: Two successive selections before and after the de-stemming process
Vinification: A long period of maceration (about 3 weeks)
Aging: In French oak barrels (75% new barrels each vintage) for between 16 to 18 months depending on the vintage.
Owner: M. François-Xavier BORIE